Machine for planting grass and clover seed



Sept. 15, 1953 L, PRESLER 2,652,261

I MACHINE FOR PLANTING GRASS AND CLQVER SEED Filed April 20, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet l v "mum I I I 2.? g

3/1 (I I H! IN VEN TOR. 1 14755 [a Wears/$551M;

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p 1953 .1. L. PRESLER MACHINE FOR PLANTING GRASS AND CLOVER SEED Filed April 20, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. Jimsslnu esuceflmmg H17 OP/Vf 7.5.

tractors and in position to be Patented Sept. .15, 1953 MACHINE FOR PLANTING GRASS AND CLOVER SEED James Lawrence Presler, Van Wert County, Ohio Application April 20, 1948, Serial No. 22,127

5 Claims.

1 This invention relates to seeders for sowing grass, clover, and other seeds and more particularly to a seeder adapted to be mounted upon and driven from a tractor. It is an object of the invention to provide a seeder with an adjustable mounting means which is adapted to support the seeder from any of a wide variety of driven by the power which it is mounted. 'Another object of the invention is to provide imcally adjustable relative to the base are a pair disk. The friction-wheel shaft is adapted for connection to the power take-off of the tractor, desirably through some flexible torque-transmitting means such as heavy rubber hose. Above the distributor, the hopper is provided in its bottom with an outlet opening controlled by a verceeds over the ground.

"Theaccompanying drawings illustrate the in- 2 vention: Fig. l isa perspective view illustrating a complete attachment; Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view illustrating the hopper in vertical sectionyFig. 3 is a top plan view; Fig. 4 is a fragmental vertical section illustrating details of the valve adjustment mechanism; and Fig. 5 is a fragmental view of the valve and its mounting with portions broken away the better to illustrate the construction.

The device shown in the drawing embodies a hopper-support I conveniently in the form of a metal bar bent into a general U-shape and disposed with its legs vertical. To the upper end of the support I there is secured in any convenient manner an apron 2 which in turn supports a hopper 3 having a conical bottom sloping to a, central outlet opening. The body of the "hopper 3 is conveniently cylindrical, and the apron 2 is curved to fit against the hopper. For the purpose of removably supporting the hopper spectively in slots 2A provided in the apron 2.

.Upon the cover of the hopper 3 I provide a bracket 4 having an inclined series of notches in any of which there may be received an arm 6 mounted on the upper end and extending radially from a vertical shaft l2 disposed centrally of the hopper and supported therein from the cover and a cross member 5. Above the cover (Fig. 4). the upper end of the shaft [2 is bent to extend horizontally for pivotal connection on a horizontal axis to a fitting 1 to which the arm 6 is secured. A rivet 8 passes upwardly through a compression spring 9, and the bent end of the shaft I 2, and the upper wall of the fitting 1, 'pivotally connected to the bent end of the shaft l2 by a horizontal pin or rivet H. The spring 9 bears. upwardly against the bent end of the shaft l2 and downwardly against the rivet 8, so that it urges the arm 6 downwardly and resiliently holds it seated in contact with the bracket 4.

Near the lower end of the shaft [2 there is secured thereto a collar I 6, and below (See also Fig. 5.) A cotter pin or transverse member l8 extending through a hole in the shaft I2 and also through a vertical slot in the valve member l9 limits movement of the valve member under the influence of spring l1.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the rate at which seed is fed through the outlet opening in the bottom of the hopperwill be controlled by the position of the arm 6 alon the bracket 4. If the arm 6 is moved along the bracket to rotate the shaftf IZ inthe counter clockwise direction, the helical slot in the bearing pin '20, -traversing-ethe I3, willcause' the shaft I2 to move downward until the valve lg-eng ages' the opening in the hopper-bottom. Further movement of the warm :5 in the same directionwill lowerthe shaft I2-and compress the springs-I I, thus resiliently forcing the valve I I9 against its seat; and 1 insuring; against the escape 'of -se ed-.- If the'armt is mov edin the opposite direction, the cooperation of the pin 2il-with thehelical slot in the bearing l3- causes the shaft I2 to move vertically.- As "the cotter pin-I8 reaches the upper end of the slot in the valve member I9 in-the upward movement of the shaft I2, the valve I9'opens to permit the escape ofseed from the hopper the rateof seed-escape being. controlled by the verticalcpositio'n of the valve,

If desired, there may be associated with the bracket 4 a sliding stop. member 2| which can ber positioned-at -any desired point alongthe bracket to he engagedby the arm 6 and thus limit 'openingmovement of the valve; I9. The adjustable stop 12I permitsthe user of the seeder to closeithe valveiat any Itime'andlate'r to open it exactly. to its original setting.

If desired, the bearing I3 may .be mounted for limited angular adjustment about the axis. of the shaft I2". To' this end, the hopper-covenmay be provided with"arcua,te slots 22-"whioh re'ceive screws 'ISA'that pass through the cover' and into the bearing to secure the latter inposition. By adjustingrthe 'bearing-Hlabout the axis ofithe shaft'jl'2fthe position of the valve [9' corresponding'to any position of the arm d'may be varied within" limits.

While the curved fingers 3 A cooperating .with the 'slots"'2A; in-the apron 2. serve adequately to support 'the we'ight of the hopper and its contents, itinay bc'aadvisable to provide an-additiona'l meansfo'r anchoring the hopper "in-position on the-apron, If so',a screw 23"'passihg.through a slot 24 inthe apronand into a 'suitablezscrewthreaded opening associatedwiththehopper may be'employed. I I H Mounted? below the hopper 3 'iri'position to receive the seed'fe'd therefrom under control of the valve" I9 is a distributordisk' 'or pl'a'te30 secured'to 'the'upper "end'ofa 'vertical shaft 29. On its upper face, the plate 38 isprovided with""ra'di'ally'extending'ribsfllf'. The shaft 29 is"rotativ'ely"supported 'on a "vertical axis from atable 28 provided at one end with an upwardly extending arm'ZBb' carrying spaced bearings 28c andmdwhich' rotatively receive the shaft Securedto' the shaft 29 above the upper bearing 28d and below the .distributor plate 33 isa friction disk 36 fada'pted'to engage a 'friction wheel" 38 secured to one endof a hori-- zontal shaft 26 The shaft 26 is supported in' fixed axial position relative to a bearing block 2? slidable on the table 28 radially of the shaft 29 in order to vary the distance between the axis of the shaft 29 and the point at which the friction disk 36 engages the friction wheel 38. At the end opposite the friction wheel 38, the shaft 25 has secured to it a coupling member 25 adapted to be driven by the tractor conveniently through a shortlength of rubberhose- 25 secured to the coupling 'm'ember' 25 andto the power take-off shaft of the tractor. The coupling member 25 is keyed to the shaft 26 to rotate therewith but to slide-thereonwhen the bracket 21 is moved to 'adjust' the position of the wheel 38.

The shaft 29 is vertically slidable as well as rotatable iri thebearings 28c and 28d; and intermediatesuch bearings it is provided with a collar 35"betw'een'which and the upper bearing 28dtliere acts a compression spring 34 urging the shaft 29 downwardly to hold the friction disk 36 in -firm frictional engagement with the wheel- 38.

The-par-alleldegs of.- the hopper-support 'I are slidably received in two vertical openings in a base it. Additional openings in the base Mareceive the-shanks A2" of supports. 42. Each. support 42 has a horizontally extending foot priovided with a series of openingsany of whichiis adaptedto receive a-bolt'fattaching 'the associated'support 42 to the drawbar or other convenient part of a tractor. Thetable- 28"is=provide d with a downwardly extending shanklflul which is slidably received in an openingjin the base 4|, Set screws 4|! 'mounte'din thebas'ecoloperate with the shanks 28a, 42."and-'tne1egso the hopper-support-I to hold suchsha'nks and legs in the desired position of v adjustment. The shanks 42" ofltheisupport's 4'2 arel'de'si ablyfrotatable' as 'well-"as "slidable in'the base-openings which receive them, thus 'makiiig'ipossible a variation in"the distance between *theopeni'ng's in the feet of the two sup'pfort'sfi Desirjably, the shank 28a is flattened or 'gro'ovedffor the receipt of. its associatedrset screw to rovide against ny rotation of thetable ZB'reIativetovthe base'J' II, thus insuring the proper condition" ofthe" align ment'be'tween the distributor so and the'ho'pp'er'3.

The loose mounting of the valve I9 "on' 'the lower end of the shaft'IZ permits 'suchval've, when opened'ftovibrate horizontallyin the outlet "opening of the. hopper. as thetractor carrying the seeder moves ov'er'the. ground This movement 'of' the valve,which always -n -Jrria'ins within" the hopper-outlet; dislodges any seed which might' otherwise become lodged in such outlet,rand thus insures a continuity offeeda's long as the valve is open'and the hopper con-- ta'ins'anyseed. While the valve isthusco'nstantly "moving" horizontally; the? effective site of the feed op'ening'does not-vary and thera'tefof seed-.feed therefore remains constant; The tendency of the valve to vibrate horizontallyfas the tractor moves mayfbe increased by'pr'ovidingthe' 'val've 'with'a V downwardly opening recess 45' (Fig; 5) which loosely receives 'a"he'avy ball capable of rollingbaok and forth on a recessclosure' 41. The impact of the ball on the sides ofthe recess prevents the valve from becoming lodged inifixed position in the outlet opening of the hopper.

I 'have' found that accurate control ofthe speed of the distributor 30 is essential-to an even dis tribution of 'seed. In' seederswhich I have built} a"drop "in"the speed of the distributor 30 below 55'0' 'revolutions per minutej'causes"'the seed to be concentrated near the center ofthe strip of seeds deposited as the tractor progresses over the ground. On the other hand, if the speed of the distributor rises above 600 revolutions per minute, the seed tends to become concentrated near the edges of the strip. The speed adjustment provided by the variable-ratio friction drive enables me to maintain a desirable speed of rotation of the distributor irrespective of the speed. at which the tractor progresses over the ground and irrespective of the speed-ratio of the tractor driving mechanism.

The mechanism disclosed for mounting the seeder on the tractor is extremely flexible and adapts the seeder for attachment in suitable position on tractors of a wide variety of construction. The feet of the supports 42 can be held against either upwardly or downwardly presented surfaces on the tractor, and the supports can be disposed either with their shanks extending upwardly or downwardly from the feet. Possibility of swinging each support about the axis of its shank makes possible an infinitely fine variation in the distance between the holes which receive the bolts securing the feet to the tractor. In addition to the range of vertical adjustment provided by sliding movement of the base 41 on the shanks of the supports, a further range of vertical adjustment is provided by the slidability of the hopper-support l and the table-shank 28a in the base.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a seeder for mounting on a tractor having a power take-off, a frame structure adapted for attachment to the tractor, a hopper on said frame structure having an outlet opening at its bottom, a, vertical shaft, means carried by zontal shaft and engaging said disk, being adjustable radially of said disk, means for retaining said wheel in any position of adjustment radially of said disk and means for releasably connecting the forward end of the horizontal shaft to the power take-off of the. tractor.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1 with the addition that said shaft-supporting means includes a bearing in which said horizontal shaft is rotatable but axially fixed, and a support for said bearing, said bearing being adjustable on said support along a line parallel to the horizontal shaft.

3. In a seeder for mounting on a tractor having a power take-off, a frame structure adapted for attachment to the tractor, a hopper on said frame structure having an outlet opening at its bottom, a distributor mounted on said frame structure for scattering seed fed from said outlet opening, mechanism connectible to the power take-off of the tractor for driving said distributor, said supporting structure comprising a base, a hopper-support connected to said base for vertical adjustment, means for supporting said driving mechanism from the base, said means being connected to the base for vertical adjustment relative thereto, and a pair of base-supports for connecting said base to the tractor, each of said base-supports being rotatably and vertically adjustable in. said base and having a laterally projecting foot provided with one or more bolt-holes and adapted to overlap a tractor drawbar and to be secured thereto by a bolt passing through one of said bolt-holes.

let opening, mechanism connectible to the power take-off of the tractor for driving said distributor, said supporting structure comprising a base, a hopper-support connected to said base, means for supporting said driving mechanism from the base, and a pair of base-supports for connecting said base to the tractor, each of said basesup-ports being rotatably bar and to be secured ing through one of said bolt-holes.

5. The invention set JAMES LAWRENCE PRESLER. References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 557,010 Morse Mar. 24, 1896 683,545 Baker Oct. 1, 1901 883,564 Parrish Mar. 31, 1903 964,243 Griswold July 12, 1910 1,263,105 Plummer Apr. 16, 1918 1,322,559 Gethman Nov. 25, 1919 1,508,210 Bangert Sept. 9, 1924 1,625,353 Dugan Apr. 19, 1927 1,682,735 Bergerioux Sept. 4, 1928 1,727,056 Gebhart Sept. 3, 19 1,751,928 Lachner Mar. 25, 1930 1,971,432 Smith Aug. 28, 1934 2,169,779 Loewe Aug. 15, 1939 2,187,448 Currivan et al Jan. 16, 1940 2,192,802 Pound Mar. 5, 1940 2,198,389 Graham Apr. 23, 1940 2,293,977 Hoifstetter Aug. 25, 1942 2,384,376 Bauer Nov. 16, 1943 2,519,243 Gjertson Aug. 15, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 82,555 Sweden Feb. 12, 1935 

